Digital Media Students Receive 33 National Awards

May 22, 2017

Buena Vista University's media students and organizations received 33 awards in the annual Society for Collegiate Journalists (SCJ) national media contest.

SCJ's national contest entries are judged by professionals in the media industry. The organization currently has more than 100 chapters across the nation, and all active members are eligible to enter original works in the contest. Each chapter may submit up to three entries per category, with more than 50 categories covering all media formats. The national contest does not distinguish divisions by the size of the school or chapter. 

Dr. Andrea Frantz, professor of digital media at BVU and executive board president of SCJ, chartered BVU's chapter in the fall of 2012 and is proud of the number and level of achievements that BVU's chapter members and organizations have received over the years.

"This year's results are especially exciting because they recognize a number of our graduating seniors' work right alongside innovative risk-takers among our underclassmen," said Frantz.

In overall awards, The Tack Online placed third in the overall online news website excellence category. Additionally, BVU was honored with nine first place awards across online, television and radio.

The SCJ national awards that BVU media organizations and students received include:

Online News Website Overall Excellence

• Third place: The Tack Online

Multimedia News Story

• First place: The Tack Online, "Water in White: Thunderstorm Causes Flooding on Campus" (Justice Gage, Class of 2016)
• Second place: The Tack Online, "We are SLHS: Diversity" (Emily Johnson, a senior digital media major from Storm Lake; Madeleine McCormick, a junior digital media major from Huxley; and Nathan Connelly, Class of 2016)

Multimedia Feature Story

• Second place: The Tack Online, "Rigged or Righteous: Freedom of the Press" (Madeleine McCormick and Deidree Friesen, a junior digital media major from Storm Lake)
• Honorable mention: The Tack Online, "Stranger is a Strange Land" (Madeleine McCormick; Emily Johnson; and Brittany Poeppe, a senior digital media and graphic design double major from Graettinger)

Multimedia Sports Story

• First place: UCN Studios, "More Than Just a Coach: BVU Women's Basketball" (Christopher Habermann, a senior digital media major from Sioux City)
• Third place: UCN Studios, "More Than Just a Coach: BVU Men's Basketball" (Christopher Habermann)

Photo Slideshow

• Honorable mention: The Tack Online, "Dungeons & Dragons: A Short Photodocumentary" (Skyler Gorsett, a senior digital media major from Sioux City)

Multimedia Series

• Second place: UCN Studios, "More Than Just a Coach" [series] (Christopher Habermann)

Continuing Coverage

• Third place: The Tack Online, "Racial Discrimination Incident Reported" (Lindsey Graham, a senior business and corporate communications double major from Swisher; Deidree Friesen; and Madeleine McCormick)

Column or Commentary

• First place: The Tack Online, "Sexual Assault in College: From Hollywood to Your Hometown" (Lindsey Graham)

Features (excluding sports)

• Third place: The Tack Online, "Lions, Cheetahs and Wolves: Up Close With Miranda Wallace" (Deidree Friesen)

Sports News Writing

• Honorable mention: The Tack Online, "Whitecaps Return to Storm Lake for the First Time Since 1940" (Tanner Hoops, a junior digital media and communications studies double major from Storm Lake)

News Photography/Individual Image

• Second place: The Tack Online, "Water in White: Thunderstorm Causes Flooding on Campus" (Justice Gage)

Feature Photography/Individual Image

• Honorable mention: The Tack Online, "Wines of the World" (Justice Gage)

Radio News Package

• First place: KBVU, "Iowa Caucuses" (Tiffany Brauckman, a senior digital media major from Atlantic; Zachary Schmidt, Class of 2016; Brittany Poeppe; and Mackenzie Rappe, a junior digital media major from Waukee)
• Second place: KBVU, "DYKN Media Minute Public Affairs Commentary" (Madeleine McCormick)
• Third place: KBVU, "Lou Mongello Visits BVU" (Tiffany Brauckman)

Radio Feature Package

• First place: KBVU, "The Storm Lake Bakery Celebrates 100 Years of Business" (Madeleine McCormick and Tiffany Brauckman)
• Second place: KBVU, "Stranger in a Strange Land: Adulting" (Kylee Deering, a sophomore corporate communications major from Adel; and Spencer Lee, a sophomore digital media major from Fort Dodge)
• Third place: KBVU, "Educating America: Women and Gaming" (Deidree Friesen and Tiffany Brauckman)

Radio Sports Package

• First place: KBVU, "Friday Night Hoops" (Tanner Hoops and Andrew Bandstra, a junior digital media major from Des Moines)
• Third place: KBVU, "Inside Beaver Baseball" (Tanner Hoops)
• Honorable mention: KBVU, "KBVU's Tanner Hoops Talks With Minnesota Twins Broadcaster Dick Bremer" (Tanner Hoops)

Commercial, Promotion and Public Announcement

• Second place: KBVU, "CAASA Promo in English and Spanish" (Jasmine Bautista, Class of 2016; and Mackenzie Rappe)
• Third place: KBVU, "Disney Friday Promo" (Tiffany Brauckman)
• Honorable mention: KBVU, "IIAC Baseball/Softball Tourney Promo 2016" (Tanner Hoops)
• First place: UCN Studios, "CAASA Bystander PSA" (Jasmine Bautista and Christopher Habermann)
• Second place: UCN Studios, "UCN Sports Promo" (Morgan McGrew, a senior digital media major from Ankeny)
• Third place: UCN Studios, "First Amendment Week Promo" (Morgan McGrew)

Television Feature Package

• First place: UCN Studios, "Meet the BVU '16 Homecoming Court" (Morgan McGrew)

Television Sports Package

• First place: UCN Studios, "More Than Just a Coach: Men's Basketball" (Christopher Habermann)
• Second place: UCN Studios, "UCN Sports: BVU v. Luther 2016" (Spencer Bottorff, a senior digital media major from Dakota City, Neb.)